This story originally appeared in i-D’s The Summer! Issue, no. 372, Summer 2023. Order your copy here.
When Bill Strobeck set out to plan the first trip for Violet, the global skate crew and board company he founded last year, he knew it had to be Miami. For one, it was a chilly winter in New York, and there are few places you can camp out and film tricks that time of year. But it was also a nostalgic choice, in that the legendary videographer’s first paid skate trip took place in Miami in 1999 when he documented pro skaters Rob Dyrdek, Josh Kalis, Fred Gall and Anthony Van Engelen for Alien Workshop’s Photosynthesis video. Bill was only 21 years old at the time.
“I split a room with Fred and Anthony. I remember a night where they both were on acid and came back after going out – like, Miami going out. They started throwing beer bottles at the wall and each other while I was sleeping,” he recalls. “There was no surveillance or phones or anything, so you could be more free and wild with yourself… The Violet trip happened to be mellower, as it was their first, but I was like the Violet kids on that trip: new to it all.”
Still, the crew – which is comprised of nine exciting young skaters: Seven Strong, Kyle Teh, Efron Danzig, Troy Gipson, Auguste Bouznad, Kris Brown, Kader Sylla, Mike Ward and Patrick O’Mara, spread across New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Philly – had some wild Miami nights of their own. They cruised around South Beach after dark, lit by the city’s vibrant neon lights, smoking cigarettes and sneaking into clubs. During the day, after hours of skating in parks and parking lots – often being kicked out by security, only to return a few hours later – they swam in the ocean and rented jet skis to ride through the waves.
Photographer Sandy Kim captured all of these candid moments. Though it might be the first time a woman has documented a skate trip like this for a style magazine, Bill says there’s a raw spirit to her work that lends itself well to the sport. Sandy’s no stranger to documenting skaters, either. She’s worked with Supreme, photographed Sean Pablo, Na-Kel Smith and more, but her images push the boundaries of traditional skate photography. They’re stylish, bridging the worlds of skating and fashion, much like the Violet crew themselves.
“I got into skating because of the style of it more than anything else,” Bill says. “Bleached hair, size 42 jeans, permanent marker on your grip tape, colourful outfits, safety pins holding a hole in your jeans closed, a shoe string as a belt, the ‘fuck you’ attitude of saying, ‘I can skate where I want…’ Skaters are punks and rebels at heart.”
Naturally, Violet is much more than a skate team, because its members aren’t limited by labels. Sure, they’re ‘skaters’, but many of them make art or clothing, and Bill encourages them all to think big beyond the sport. “This modern era seems to be about bending the rules, [no longer] boxing every genre up and saying you’re this or that, and that’s it,” Bill says. “With Violet, I look at it as a collective of cool, bright kids that just happen to love to skate.” To get a better feel for the trip and the energy that makes Violet so special, we had Bill ask Sandy about her experience documenting the crew in Miami.
Bill: Miami pops off, so I feel like it was fitting for our first trip. Have you been there to shoot before? What are your favourite things about Miami, as far as photography goes?
Sandy: I’ve never been to Miami on a photo mission. My favourite stuff to shoot was at night in South Beach. Something about the hot weather, the lively streets, the diverse culture and the neon lights I found to be so inspiring. Being in a different environment from where I live was stimulating, but without the company I was with, it would have been a totally different point of view. The company and vibrant location made this a special project.
Bill: I’ve been a fan of yours and known you for a long time now – I like how you work because it just seems like a friend is with you when you’re shooting. You are you, and that’s what makes your photos look like this. What is your process like and did you do anything different on this trip than, let’s say, your photos from when you lived in New York when we first met?
Sandy: I love that. That’s the feeling I like to create when I’m shooting. I thrive when I’m completely comfortable and just hanging out with friends. I like for the people who I’m shooting to feel comfortable around me, so I can capture moments that feel unposed. My process hasn’t changed much. Initially, I get to know the subject I’m shooting so they feel at ease. I like to develop a connection so that, when I’m in their face shooting all day, it doesn’t feel invasive. I want the subject to eventually forget that I’m photographing and the noise of the shutter becomes background noise. I like to be a fly on the wall.
Bill: How did you feel being on a skate trip? What were some things about this shoot that stuck out to you work-wise?
Sandy: The only thing I can compare to a skate trip is being on a tour with a band – a lot of time driving and sitting around until the magic happens. But the major difference on a skate trip is that people are falling all day. They endure physical pain, but get right back up and do it over and over until they land the trick. I have a newfound respect for skaters after this trip. Our days would look like this: wake up, go to Whole Foods for breakfast, drive to a spot, spend anywhere between an hour to two trying to land a trick – or until we get kicked out by security – and then drive to the next spot. Once everyone is burnt out from skating all day, we go back to the hotel to shower and then drink until 4am. Repeat daily.
Bill: What it’s like being in an SUV with a bunch of skaters… like, what’s the atmosphere?
Sandy: The vibes were all around positive. In my opinion, long car rides are where you get to really know someone’s temperament. No one was in a bad mood and, if they were, they kept it to themselves and didn’t let it affect the group. Everyone got along well, and when there was an issue, they’d hash it out real quick with open communication. The energy was young, bright and ambitious.
Bill: We had a group chat for Miami going, and it was energetic and fun at times. I’d go to sleep, then wake up and read it. You all had some party nights, I saw some selfies on there. Did you have fun with these heads?
Sandy: I had so much fun; I didn’t want the trip to end. I felt alive and young. The group chat really popped off. My favourite part was people roasting each other, especially the photoshopped images of you.
Bill: This was the first time, that I know of, that a woman has come on a skate trip to shoot an editorial for i-D or a major magazine in general. Are you stoked to hold that title?
Sandy: No doubt, call me skate mom lol.
Bill: We had to drive around, going to the same areas a lot… I grew up doing this, but [filming skate trips] is so different from a planned shoot. Did you like the sporadicness?
Sandy: I prefer when things are spontaneous. Most of my favourite images I’ve taken are created when things are unplanned, ranging from the highly energetic moments to the mundane times in life. You wait around all day until you come by the perfect moment with nice light or some flash.
Bill: How was driving the slingshot with Kader, were you scared at all? That thing seemed sketchy. I drove it around the block once and I was like, this shit on the highway seems like it’s flip. And how was jet skiing with them dudes, anything that stuck out?
Sandy: Driving the slingshot was sketchy AF, especially with Kader behind the wheel. But I love living on the edge! Was I scared? No, maybe the first minute or so. But my favourite activities always entail a little bit of danger. Jet skiing was also so fun, it was my first time. The boys kept splashing each other with the jet skis. That stuck out the most because I was drenched every time.
Bill: The Violet heads were hyped to have you on the trip. You fit in like a glove. I was glad we thought of this and that you committed because it was a long trip, but you got amazing photos and the feel is so different from anything in skating or fashion at the moment. It feels street and candid. Would you go on more trips with this crew?
Sandy: It was refreshing to be on a photo trip that didn’t involve a whole production: a space where I was allowed to create whatever I wanted without clients chiming in every minute. Everyone was so welcoming and it felt like a little family trip. Long and tedious yes, but I would definitely do it again.
Bill: When I think of Miami, specifically South Beach, I think of spring break, people wearing sherbert colours, fake boobs, long late nights, Versace’s house, Cuban food, neon lighting, dope cars… What was it like? Did you get a chance at all to go swimming? We should have got a hold of Harmony [Korine], he’d have shown us some shit.
Sandy: I didn’t get to swim at all, but I did dip my feet in the water. When we were able to make it to the beach it was super late night or a brief stop in between skate spots, so I was focused on getting the shots. I did experience some late nights with the boys. We made it to Bad Bunny’s club one night, and that was a Miami nightlife experience. Lots of skimpy outfits and drunk people. It was my idea to have Auguste let Patrick use his fake ID first to get in, but when Patrick got to the door the bouncer asked him to speak French. Patrick didn’t know any French, so that was a wrap for him, Auguste and Kader. I went in for like ten minutes then felt bad for leaving some of the boys behind, so I ended up leaving early.
Bill: The coloured lights around town seem so fun to shoot flicks in. Do you have a place you shot or a favourite photo that comes to mind?
Sandy: I really wanted to emulate Miami nightlife, so I utilised coloured lighting. Those were my favourite flicks: portraits lit with neon lights.
Bill: What was your favourite place you ate in Miami?
Sandy: I forget the name, but the spot you wanted to go to every night.
Bill: Puerto Sagua Restaurant – it was cool we all sat at the counter that one night to eat. We had like fifteen people down, old school vibes. Classic. What was your order?
Sandy: My favourite dish was the chicken with rice, beans and plantains. That was the first night I got there, we got to the restaurant five minutes before they closed and we took over the whole counter.
Bill: I feel like a foodie asking you about these spots, but I think they are a big part of Miami. It just feels like a vacation to me no matter what… Like Joe’s Stone Crab? Butter and crab all day!
Sandy: I just know you dropped a shit ton of money at Joe’s. Efron puked after her meal, and the jet ski crew was freezing their asses off because at Miami restaurants they blast the AC, but the server had us covered and gave the cold folks table covers to wear during our meal.
Bill: Is there a song you heard that will remind you of this trip when you hear it?
Sandy: Mystery Boy by Sassy 009 and Vegyn.
Credits
Photography Sandy Kim
Models Seven Strong, Kyle Teh, Efron Danzig, Troy Gipson, Auguste Bouznad, Kris Brown, Kader Sylla, Mike Ward, Patrick O’Mara, Rico Abdou and Jax Effs
Thanks to the whole Violet crew, Miami friends, Lot 11 skatepark heads, Puerto Sagua Restaurant, Cardinal film lab, all the sponsors that helped make the trip happen and Sandy Kim